New York based TigerCandy Arts have eighteen years of experience in Art Therapy and Education. They know how to make art fun and fabulous! Founders Tiger and Heather needed a platform for their products, so they teamed up with freewebstore.
1. Please tell us a bit about your online store
We established our freewebstore as a platform to sell our inventive, fun and fabulous puppet-making and craft kits both to retail and wholesale customers. Unlike similar kits on the market, ours are artistically “open” and process-oriented. With the tenets of art education and art therapy at the foundation, they put the power of design and creativity into the hands of the user. Everything we sell is 100% conceived, designed, and manufactured by us at our Finger Lakes, New York-based studio.
In addition to couture, custom sock puppets, our freewebstore features our collection of deluxe, no-sew sock puppet kits based on our original Sockett® puppet designs. Available in an open, 3 puppet version or as predetermined “singles”, these kits enable people to create their own, expressive, high quality, handmade pieces using the techniques we’ve pioneered over the last 18 years. There are only a few singles available so far, but more will be arriving soon. Currently available on the store is our line of premium stick puppet kits marketed under the brand name Stick Puppet Party!® Creatively open and available in seven varieties, they surpass other stick puppet kits in that the puppets are jointed and very large (14″). This activity works on the multiple creative tiers like visual art, storytelling & performing and adapts easily to the skill of the user, making it a fun, unplugged, activity for parties, mixed groups, and families. Lastly we have our wonderful, Waldorf inspired Sock Angel Christmas Tree topper. What makes this hand-sewing kit so special is that it is 100% customizable. You choose the angel’s complexion, eye, hair, and gown color as well as whether to give it feather or felt wings and a floating or renaissance style halo. A Fairy edition as well as a “no-sew” Angel edition are coming soon.
2. What else did you have going on in your life when you first decided to start your business?
At the time we founded Tigercandy Arts, Inc we were sharing an apartment in New York City and working in the field of Art Therapy, having recently earned our M.S. degree in the discipline, and become friends in graduate school. The company began with an idea Tiger had for an open platform sock puppet kit that allowed the user; child or adult, to create their own original puppets. Tiger asked Heather, a skilled seamstress, to assist in the development of the puppet base. This led to our trademark, “soft mouth”, sock puppet. Soft mouths are more advantageous than the stiff ones because they allow the puppet to make a wider range of facial expressions. “The rest is history” as they say!
3. Why did you decide to start your own business?
We were inspired to start our own business because we both have very individualistic personalities, square pegs in round holes if you will. We wanted more autonomy and creative freedom in our work life as well as the ability to practice art in a more hands-on way. The open nature of many of our craft kits reflects our fierce individualism. We strongly believe everyone has the need for creative expression regardless of age or ability. It is our goal to design intuitive, high-quality products to easily facilitate them on their unique journey. Although we began with a single kit, people were drawn to the puppets we made with it, and an opportunity for even more presented itself.
4. Do you have any advice for new store owners?
Our advice for new store owners is simple: Don’t give up too quickly and be creative in your problem solving. Smaller businesses and those who do their own manufacturing have some advantages over their larger competitors. Smaller businesses can pivot more quickly and produce with less lead time than larger ones allowing for real time response to market trends and customer needs.
5. What were the results you were hoping to achieve when you first signed up for a freewebstore?
When we signed up for Freewebstore we had been using Wix.com. That website was costing us $350 a year and we were not even using it as a store. Our sales were taking place from our Etsy shop which, since going public, seems to have endless and ballooning charges. Switching to freewebstore allows us to have our website and store on the same platform and perhaps more importantly, keep costs down. This matters to us as owners of a small, art-based business. Our work is very hands-on and labor intensive so the fewer sites to manage, the better. Running our online business from freewebstore also gives us the ability to keep more of our profits for ourselves. Our experience with freewebstore has been terrific. Unlike the two platforms previously mentioned, freewebstore has comprehensive and timely support which is great for non-tech minded people like us. One of our favorite things is the responsive AI, “Freeby”, available to everyone on the platform. We would occasionally ask Freeby existential questions about the nature of its being and computer/human relations. Freeby was always very contemplative and forthcoming with the answers.
6. What is your most popular product?
To date our most popular kit is probably still the original Sockett® kit. We also fill a lot of custom sock puppet orders.
7. If you could choose one magic power, what would you go for?
This is a very interesting question and not so easy to choose just one. We will take advantage of the fact that there are two of us and select an extra! The first one is pretty easy, and perhaps not the most original but “Super Speed” would be amazing. So often there is far more to do in a single day or week than is actually possible. This would be a great help. The second power would have to be “Mind Reading”. Writing directions and descriptions and producing images is a constant requirement of the job. We so often find ourselves asking the question “what will people respond to?” “How much will they read?” and “Are the directions clear enough?” so to have some insight would be great.
8. And finally, where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
Our plan is to soon begin selling our kits wholesale. In five years and beyond, we hope to have been successful and continue to live a creative and free life with our many pets.
Find out how to sell toys online with freewebstore and you’ll have a beautiful website set up ready to take orders in just a few clicks.
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